Ammonium nitrate sensitized by amino compounds



Patented Oct. 13, 1 931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER O. AND JOSEPH A. WYLER, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-

SIGNORS TO TROJAN POWDER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK AMMONIUM NITRATE SENSITIZED BY AMINO COMPOUNDS No Drawing.

This invention relates primarily to ammonium nitrate and to ammonium nitrate explosives. The principal-object of the invention is to provide by novel methods an 5 improved ammonium nitrate and ammonium nitrate explosive of relatively high sensitiveness. 4

The utility of ammonium nitrate as an ingredient of explosive compositions is somewhat limited by reason of the low order of sensitiveness, and some efforts have been made to increase the sensitiveness thereof to detonation. We have discovered that certain substances when suitably compounded with ammonium nitrate have a pronounced eifect upon the sensitiveness of ammonium nitrate toward detonation.

w Our invention contemplates the use with ammonium nitrate of sulphur-free hydrazine or ammonia derivatives characterized by the presence in the compound of at least one aromatic ring or nucleus. The formulae of ammonia and hydra-zine may be given as follows:

Ammonia Hydrazine are so termed for convenience throughout the specification and claims, a sulphur-free derivative of a nitrogen-hydrogen compound in which at least one of the hydrogen atoms has been replaced by an aromatic ring.

- This term it will be recognized, embraces a large class of compounds and, as representative of the difierent derivatives which are applicable for the present invention and Application filed March 26, 1928. Serial No. 264,953.

drogen molecules may be replaced by two aromatic rings or by an aliphatic group and .an aromatic ring. The substitution of the aromatic ring or rings for the hydrogen atom or atoms may take place, in one molecule of ammonia or similar compound consisting solely of'nitrogen and hydrogen, thus producing compounds such as aniline, diphenylamine, etc., or one hydrogen atom may be replaced in each of two molecules of ammonia or similar compound consisting solely of nitrogen and hydrogen, thus producing compounds such as phenylenediamine. We have also found that simple oxidation products of the above named derivatives may be used to advantage according to the present invention in order to increase in a pronounced degree the sensitiveness of ammonium nitrate toward detonation. Such compounds include phenylhydroxylamine, azobenzene, and azoxybenzene. These simple oxidation products are also within the term a sulphur-free derivative of a nitrogen-hydrogen compound in which at least one of the hydrogen atoms has been replaced by an aromatic ring, and in the claims where this term is' used, these oxidation products are to be included as well as the other compounds which may be considered to be sulphur-free derivatives of ammonia or hydrazine in which at least one of the hydrogen atoms has been replaced by an aromatic ring.

In practicing our invention,'the sensitizing agents may be used in amounts equal to 3% of the weight of the ammonium nitrate, although we do not limit ourselves to this percentage, and a suitably product has ing the ammonium nitrate crystals with the 0 sensitizing agent.

As a typical example of the one method of forming the sensitized ammonium nitrate utilizing the principle of co-crystallization, we may place 600 parts of ammonium nitrate with 60 parts of water and 15 parts of paraphenylenediamine in a steam-jacketed'grainmg kettle and raise the temperature of the mixture to from 120 to 130 C. The mixture is stirred and held for a time at this temperature while the water is allowed to evaporate, with the resulting production of a mass of dry fine crystals constituting the sensitized product.

As illustrating another method in which the sensitizing agent in finely divided form is disseminated through the ammonium nitrate, we may place 600 parts of ammonium nitrate, parts of water, and 15 parts of finely ground tolidine in a steam-jacketed graining kettle. The mixture is heated to about to C., and constantly stirred. The sensitized product is obtained in the form of a fine dry crystalline mass after the water has evaporated.

In a third method in which the ammonium nitrate crystals are coated with the sensitizing agent, we may bring together 600 parts of ammonium nitrate and 15 parts of alphanaphthylamine in a steam-jacketed graining kettle at a temperature of about 95 C. The mixture is stirred at this temperature for about one hour and thereafter cooled and stirred until the temperature reaches about 40 C. It is then screened through a M-mesh screen. A solvent for the sensitizing agent may also be used as an aid in obtaining upon evaporation a satisfactory coating.

It may at times be advantageous to use more than one sensitizing agent. In such a case, when employing two agents simultaneously, we prefer to use approximately 3% of each and treat the mixture by one or more of the methods outlined above. Similarly in using three agents simultaneously, approximately 3% of each are preferably used. It will be noted that when using two or more agents simultaneously, the individual agents may be applied to the ammonium nitrate by different ones respectively of the methods outlined above. In employing two agents simultaneously, one may for example be cocrystallized with the ammonium nitrate and the other applied to the ammonium nitrate by dissemination oras a coating.

As an example of an explosive having a base of nitro-starch and including the sensitized ammonium nitrate of the present invention, the following may be given Per cent Nitrostar 9.75 sensitized ammonium nitrate 78.00

(consisting of 91% NH NO=, 3% tolidine, 3% paraphenylenediamine and 3% alpha-naphthylamine) Sodium n 10.00 Wpod pu p 2.00

It will be understood that various sensitizing agents defined by the term a sulphurfree derivative of a nitrogen-hydrogen compound in which at least one of the hydrogen atoms has been replaced by an aromatic ring may be used in sensitizing ammonium nitrate and the compounds may be used in various proportions without departing from the es sential features of the invention. Obviously also, the sensitized ammonium nitrate may be used in various explosives and the explosive composition given above with nitro-starch as a base is only given by way of example.

We claim: 1. An explosive comprising ammonium nitrate sensitized with aniline.

2. An explosive comprising ammonium nitrate in intimate admixture with aniline. 3. The method of sensitizing ammonium .nitrate which consists in intimately mixing said nitrate with aniline. 4. An explosive comprising ammonium nitrate sensitized with a compound selected from the following group,aniline, toluidine, naphthylamine, anthramine, diphenylamine, ditolylamine, phenylenediamine, tolyenediamine, benzidine, tolidine, phenylhydrazine, diphenylhydrazine, tolyhydrazine, phenylhydroxylamine, azobenzene, azoxybenzene.

5. An explosive comprising ammonium nitrate in intimate admixture with a compound selected from the following group,-aniline, toluidine, naphthylamine, anthramine, diphenylamine, ditolylamine, phenylenediamine, tolylenediamine, benzidine, tolidine, phenylhydrazine, diphenylhydrazine, tolylhydrazine, phenylhydroxylamine, azobenzene, azoxybenzene.

6. An explosive comprising ammonium nitrate cocrystallized with a compound selected from the following group,-aniline, toluidine, naphthylamine, anthramine, diphenylamine, ditolylamine, phenylenediamine, tolylenediamine, benzidine, tolidine, phenylhydrazine, diphenylhydrazine, tolylhydrazine, phenylhydroxylamine, azobenzene, azoxybenzene.

- 7. Anexplosive comprising ammonium nitrate in intimate admixturewith a compound selected from the following group, .aniline, toluidine, naphthylamine, anthramine, diphenylamine, ditolylamine, phenylenediamine, tolylenediamine, benzidine, tolidine, phenylhydrazine, diphenylhydrazine, tolylhydrazine, phenylhydroxylamine,

azobenzene, azoxybenzene, said compound being prseent in an amount equal to form 1% to 6% of the weight of the ammonium nitrate.

8. An explosive comprising nitrostarch, and ammonium nitrate sensitized with a compound selected from the following group,--aniline, toluidine, naphthylamine, anthramine, diphenylamine, ditolylamine,

henylenediamine, tolylenediamine benziine, tolidine, phenylhydrazine, d1phenyl hydrazine, tolylhydrazine, phenylhydroxylamine. azobenzene, azoxybenzene.

9. The method of sensitizing ammonium nitrate which comprises intimately mixing said nitrate with a compound selected from the following group,aniline, toluidine, naphthylamine, anthramine, diphenylamine, dit'olylamine, phenylenediamine, tolylenediamine, benzidine, tolidine, phenylhydrazine, diphenylhydrazine, tolylhydrazine, phenylhydroxylamine, azobenzene, azoxybenzene,

10. The method of sensitizing ammonium nitrate which comprises co-crystallizing said nitrate with a compound selected from the following group,-aniline, toluidine, naphthylamine, anthramine, diphenylamine, ditolylamine, phenylenediamine, tolylenediamine,benzidine, tolidine, phenylhydrazine, diphenylhydrazine, tolylhydrazine, phenylhydroxylamine, azobenzene, azoxybenzene.

11. An explosive comprising ammonium nitrate sensitized with phenylhydrazine.

12. An explosive comprising ammonium nitrate in intimate contact with phenylhydrazine.

13. The method of sensitizing ammonium nitrate which consists in intimately mixing said nitrate with phenylhydrazine.

14. An explosive comprising ammonium nitrate in intimate admixture with aniline, the aniline being present in an amount equal to from 1% to 6% of the weight of the ammonium nitrate,

15. An explosive comprising ammonium nitrate in intimate admixture with'phenylhydrazine, the phenylhydrazine being present in an amount equal to from 1%. to 6% of the weight of the ammonium nitrate.

- WALTER O. SNELLING.

JOSEPH A. WYLER. 

